‘Terminator’ scores big in Asia

Film continues international b.o. domination

Sony’s “Terminator: Salvation” continued to dominate the international box office over the June 12-14 weekend, grossing $43.4 million from 12,959 runs in 63 markets for an international cume of $164.4 million.

“Terminator” scored $10.7 million in Japan, the biggest opening haul in that country since “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” last year. And it opened to $9 million in China, one of the top openings of all time for a non-Chinese film.

Actioner has grossed $113.9 million in the U.S. for a global cume of $278.5 million.

Twentieth Century Fox’s family pic “Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian” placed No. 2 for the weekend at $18.5 million from 8,300 screens in 67 markets for a foreign cume of $175.9 million. Pic opened to a strong $3.3 million from 1,150 screens in Mexico, grabbing 38% of the market share.

“Museum 2″ earned $1.9 million in the U.K. for a boffo cume to date of $26.5 million. In Korea, the film stayed No. 1 for the second weekend in a row, grossing $1.8 million at 446 for a cume of $6.9 million.

Pic’s domestic cume through June 14 was $143.5 million for a worldwide haul of $319.4 million.

Sony’s “Angels & Demons” likewise continued its heavenly international run, coming in No. 3. “Angels” grossed $13.8 million from 7,189 in 67 territories for an international total of $319 million. Film’s domestic take is $123.2 million for a combined cume of $442.2 million.

“Angels” is the first film property of 2009 to jump the $400 million threshold at the worldwide B.O.

Coming in No. 5 was Warner Bros.’ raucous comedy “The Hangover,” which has become the sensation of the summer in North America, cuming $104.8 million in its first 10 days. That’s the best showing ever for an R-rated laffer.

American comedies can be a tough sell overseas, but “Hangover” got off to a bang-up start, grossing $11.9 million from 1,134 screens in 15 territories, led by a first-place finish in the U.K. at $5.1 million from 454 prints. “Hangover” will next expand into Belgium, Italy and France.

Disney-Pixar’s 3-D “Up” continued to get good lift as it grossed $8.2 million at 2,234 theaters in 14 markets. Film, which is rolling out slowly, came in No. 5 for the June 12-14 weekend. “Up” finished the sesh with a foreign cume of $26.6 million and a worldwide tally of $187.4 million.

The only nonstudio film to crack the top 10 chart was Japan’s “Rookies the Movie.” Placing No. 6, the film grossed $8.1 million at 428 screens for a boffo foreign cume of $49.5 million. The pic was adapted from the hit TV drama series about a crew of young thugs who join a high school baseball team.

Disney’s spring hit “Hannah Montana the Movie” also continued to sing in its international run, grossing $3.5 million in its 10th week from 2,130 runs in 21 markets. Pic’s foreign cume is $78.9 million; nearly matching the domestic gross of $78.2 million. Worldwide total is a sterling $157.1 million.

“Hannah Montana” beat out two summer tentpoles; Paramount’s “Star Trek,” whose foreign run is winding down, and new entry “Land of the Lost,” from Universal.

“Star Trek” grossed $3.3 million from 2,367 theaters in 46 markets for a foreign cume of $118.7 million and worldwide haul of $350.5 million. The pic has earned $231.9 million domestically, the most of any 2009 film.

“Land of the Lost,” an action comedy toplining Will Ferrell, opened to an estimated $3.1 million from 647 runs in five territories for a 10th place finish. The film opened at No. 3 in Australia behind “Hangover” and “Terminator,” grossing approximately $1.3 million at 194. In Russia, the film opened No. 2 behind “Terminator,” grossing roughly $1.4 million at 100.

Domestically, “Land of the Lost” is the first major disappointment of the summer, cuming $34.8 million through June 14.

Next week, on June 24, “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” opens day and date around the globe. Most box office observers expect the sequel to end up a top summer grosser.

The ground is ripe for a new offering. Theater traffic was down in countries across Europe over the June 12-14 weekend. In Spain and Italy, people flocked to the beach instead of the multiplex. Moviegoing also was down in Germany and France.

David Hayhurst in Paris, Emilio Mayorga in Barcelona, Ed Meza in Berlin and Nick Vivarelli in Rome contributed to this report.